Without limiting the scope of the invention, its background is described in compositions for promoting for enhancing growth of microorganisms in vitro.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0087517 (Freestone et al. 2009) discloses the production and use of an extract obtained from Musa spp., preferably from bananas, in the promotion of growth of Gram-positive bacteria such as lactic acid bacteria. The extract is also useful for growth enhancement of environmentally-stressed Gram negative bacteria. Fermented foods containing such extracts are also described.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,617,126 issued to Horn (2003) relates to a method for improving the growth and detection of bacteria, yeasts, fungi or cocci, by adding sterile-filtered yeast extract and/or p-iodonitrotetrazolium violet to the culture medium. The method of the Horn patent is especially suited for the detection of mycobacteria or germs under stress conditions, such as airborne germs after the stress of desiccation in the air.
Others, such as Chan-Blanco, et al., in their publication “Using banana to generate lactic acid through batch process fermentation”, APPL MICROBIOL BIOTECHNOL (2003) 63:147-152, have used waste banana for generating lactic acid through batch fermentation, using Lactobacillus casei under three treatments. Two treatments consisted of substrates of diluted banana puree, one of which was enriched with salts and amino acids. When fermentation was evaluated over time and significant differences were found in the three treatments for each of five variables analyzed (generation and productivity of lactic acid, and consumption of glucose, fructose, and sucrose). The skilled artisan will recognize that fermentation is a biochemical process that is not dependent on cell growth or division. Furthermore, the reference found a decrease in the growth of bacteria when exposed to a banana extract. Despite the teachings in the art, there remains a need in the art for a potent media and media supplements that can be used to grow in a vigorous and consistent manner a wide variety of organisms for commercial and other application.